Is Meal Timing Complete Broscience?

[xenomorph8472]

I've been over this time and time again on different forums, and usually "6 times a day is optimal" eating seems to be espoused anecdotally, every single time.

Now I realize, and in my own experience, that bodybuilding contest prep dieting (<10%) is probably a completely different story. I say my own experience because I've never gone below 8% myself so I have no idea what to think, and I've always dirty bulked to get stronger, as opposed to doing the same while maintaining weight, as I have heard anecdotally some have done, although I'm not convinced.

Is my confusion perhaps revolve around the difference between active weight loss or gain, and simple optimization of fuel availability? It seems there is a huge crossing of lines in the general discussion about what's optimal in one's diet.

Study on weight loss: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
Study on fuel efficiency: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155497